Experiments
by Shivakashi
Summary: Post Timeskip. Sakura’s curiosity leads to a unique situation that teaches her more about the true nature of a certain blond shinobi...and awakens new possibilities. NaruSaku slight yuri!sexynojutsu but mostly het
1. Experiments

**A/N:** I don't own Naruto :( Woe is me.

Speaking

_Thinking_

**Inner Sakura**

**Experiments**

Haruno Sakura was fifteen years old and, as much as she hated to admit it, quite the prude. Despite her build up of confidence over the years as the Hokage's apprentice and the ever-growing emergence of her secret Inner personality, there was one part of her that remained rather immature—much to her teenaged chagrin—and that was sex.

Not so much the act of sex itself as everything that went with it. Kissing, touching, fondling, caressing, holding...the works. Other than some light kissing with a couple of boys she was wholly and utterly virgin.

Of course, it was not entirely willful on her part. Sure, Sakura was growing up to be a beautiful woman and she knew it. So did many of the male shinobi and civilians for that matter, and they made it well known. Rock Lee had yet to give up on her. She was shamed to say there were many times she actually considered accepting his advances.

It wasn't her fault! She was a sexually frustrated, developing young woman. It didn't help to hear all the stories from Ino and the other girls of their experiences, however mild they may be. Even in the couple of times Sakura tried dating, Sasuke's face would flash in her mind and she would immediately pull back. She felt, on some level that she would, be betraying him. A small part of her even felt that she betrayed Naruto. Her heart overpowered her hormones. So instead of wallowing in her heartache, Sakura threw herself into her apprenticeship, developing her skills so that someday she would be able to return the man that was holding her back.

It had been nearly a year since the last time anyone attempted to woo her, the population finally catching on that she wasn't interested. Funny—if anyone were to try now they would have a much more favorable chance than before. Sakura had grown, matured, and realized that, while she still loved Sasuke, she was no longer infatuated with him.

Not that it mattered anymore—her demanding work schedule had helped her to close off her unstable hormones as much as she could without turning herself completely asexual.

Which is why, when the sight of her returning teammate after two and a half years—looking taller, hotter, and more powerful—brought forth a long forgotten flutter of nervousness in the pit of her stomach (a nervous born not because of tension or unease or fear but because he was...well...a boy) she began to rethink her position.

It was never good when Haruno Sakura began to think.

Most of her other friends had done...stuff. More stuff than she had anyway. She remembered once hearing Tenten talk about how she and a girlfriend from her graduation class once practiced kissing on each other during a sleepover. At the time, Sakura found the thought a tad repulsive: a girl kissing another girl. But Ino and, hell, even Hinata seemed to understand where she was coming from. It wasn't long before she began to think about what it would be like to kiss someone of the same sex. How different would it feel to have a girl's lips pressed against hers instead of a boy's? The curiosity was killing her, as well as the resentment of being left behind by her peers. This also made her think about boys kissing boys—something that, Kami forbid any one find out, she found strangely appealing.

Now, Sakura was sure Naruto had _some_ experience, he traveled with a super pervert after all, but it was killing her to know just how much.

Which is what led her to her current position: sitting on the bridge railing of her old team's meeting place next to said blond. The setting sun assured them that most people of the village were returning home for the evening, allowing them some privacy.

Naruto stared down at his reflection, swinging his feet and bouncing the heels of his sandals against the metal barrier. Sakura took this moment to study his profile, something she found herself doing more and more often. She was sure Naruto was attractive as a child too, but it was easy to overlook with his overbearing orange outfit and loud personality; easy to follow everyone else's hateful opinion of him. Easy because she wanted to fit in—and to say she felt ashamed of her attitude back then would be an understatement.

But now Sakura could no longer deny that Naruto was attractive even if she wanted to.

His hair was longer than when he left, but just as unruly. It managed to droop over his eyes despite the headband. His eyes. She had never taken the time to properly look at them when Sasuke was around, being too smitten with the avenger to give the vessel the time of day. But Sasuke wasn't around now, and it baffled Sakura to think about how far gone she must have been not to notice the depth and beauty of them. She had never seen such expressive and bright eyes before. They were such a blue that they rivaled the ocean on a clear day. Strong and untamable—just like the boy next to her. He was taller than her now, shoulders broader, voice deeper...all the telltale signs of puberty. Thinking about how he would turn out as a man brought a shiver of pleasure down her spine.

**"Cha! That boy is damn fine! Shannaro!"**

_'I do not need help from the peanut gallery.'_

"So..." Naruto said, still staring at his reflection. "What's up?"

He was probably completely bewildered with her at this point; she had dragged him away from ramen with the claim that it was a 'nice day for a walk'. Then she sat him on the bridge and spent the last five minutes in a silent, internal struggle.

Sakura cleared her throat and tucked a strand of bubblegum pink hair behind her ear. It was now or never.

"I've been thinking about...things lately."

"Things?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Mostly about relationships and stuff." Naruto's legs stilled, though his head remained down. She took his silence as a cue to continue. "I mean, I've never had one...a real one, that is...and I've heard stories from the other girls and I just...I was wondering if, when you were traveling...did you...?"

Not exactly coherent but she felt she got the point across.

"Did I...?"

Apparently not. She looked over at him to catch the light smirk on Naruto's lips, canceling her thoughts about him being a complete  
idiot.

Was he _laughing_ at her?

"Nar-u-to..." she growled, dragging out the last syllable of his name in a threatening manner. He laughed and faced her finally, throwing his hands up in defense.

"Alright, alright. No need to get violent Sakura-chan!" he placated.

"Well...?" she asked impatiently. This was awkward enough for her. She just wanted a straight answer from him.

Naruto closed his lips in a smile and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. There were a few relationships."

Sakura thought she felt her heart drop down into her stomach—though she wasn't sure why. The 'few' wasn't lost on her either. The thought of Naruto being sought after wasn't so mind-boggling any more. After all, without the reputation of Kyuubi hanging overhead Naruto was very approachable.

"How much have you done?" she asked; hesitantly, since she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

Naruto snorted and looked back at his reflection. A small breeze caught a few strands of golden hair and they brushed across his trademark whiskers.

"What haven't I done?"

Strangely his voice sounded rather disdainful.

"Oh," Sakura said with her eyes downcast, her face heating up at the implications. "So you've—"

"Yeah."

His attitude confused her. She would have thought he'd be boasting about his exploits, not hiding them from her. Then again, as Sakura learned more about this older Naruto in the last couple months she discovered he was very conscious about how much people actually knew about him personally. As though he were constantly afraid he would lose their friendship.

_Friendship_. Her thoughts turned to Tenten and what she said...and finally the question Sakura originally wanted to ask Naruto.

_'No way! What would he think of me? Bringing up something like that so suddenly...'_

**'Do it girl! You have to know! Just the thought makes you all hot and bothered!'**

_"He'll think I'm a freak!"_

**'Who cares? Stop torturing yourself over this and just ask!'**

"Naruto have you...ever...I mean..." She honestly didn't know how to word this without sounding like a complete and utter pervert. Naruto had turned his head in her direction, quirking it slightly to the side with his eyes squinted shut, making him look like a fox—an adorable fox at that.

Damn him. He was not making this easy.

"Have I..." he prodded along. Sakura took a deep breath and squared her shoulders so she faced him better, her eyes set with resolve.

"Have you ever kissed another boy?"

_'There, I said it.'_

There was silence. Sakura felt the blood rush to her cheeks in humiliation as he stared at her, and then—

"Well of course," he said with a fresh grin as if it were obvious. "You were there...along with half the class." The last part was muttered contemptuously but she heard it nonetheless.

"Huh?" It only took a moment for Sakura to realize he spoke about the incident with Sasuke at the academy when they were twelve.

"No...not that," she waved off. "I meant a real kiss."

"Like drawn out...tongues...that stuff?" he said helpfully. Having his full gaze on her once more only allowed Sakura to nod her head embarrassedly. Naruto grinned again, thinking she looked positively adorable biting her lip like that.

"Well..._possibly_," he said slowly. "The details are fuzzy..."

Sakura's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Truthfully, she expected he would give the negative, under the impression that he was completely straight. Something warm and unfamiliar pooled in her lap as mental images of Naruto making out with handsome, older men flooded her mind. Inner Sakura was bouncing off the psychological walls.

Naruto saw her expression and looked away from her, his own face sparked with embarrassment now.

"That's—that's..." Sakura stuttered, trying to reassure him that she wasn't disgusted.

"Unexpected?" he offered, still not looking at her.

"Yeah, and hot!" She finally exclaimed, before gasping and clamping her hands over her mouth. It was rare, but on occasion her inner self would take over her mouth, often bringing forth trouble.

He looked at her, pleasantly surprised and a bit amused.

"Can it be?" he asked mockingly. "Does Haruno Sakura actually have a libido?"

"What?" she squeaked at the sudden, lewd comment. Naruto chuckled and shook his head.

"Don't think I haven't heard about you. Konoha's 'Ice Queen.'" The teasing smile slipped from his face so fast she thought he might fall off the bridge. "Don't do this to yourself, Sakura-Chan. Don't put your life on hold for him. You deserve better."  
Sakura was silent for a moment, staring at the scuffed, black toes of her boots. She could feel his concentrated stare warm the side of her face and she blushed.

"I—I know that now," she said quietly. "And I'm trying. But I don't know where to start. I want to be more...more..."

"Adventurous," he suggested.

"Yeah."

Naruto looked interested at this.

"So what's stopping you?"

"Well..." she trailed off knowing she didn't have an answer at hand and allowed the silence to consume them once more. She took a breath. "What was it like? When you kissed...the guy..."

Naruto looked shocked at the sudden change of topic. But his eyes softened at the shy yet eager expression on his teammate's face.

"Hey, I actually said I _did,_" he pointed out.

"You didn't say you _didn't_ either," Sakura countered.

He huffed and glared out at the sun-glittered river, but there was no real heat in his gaze.

"It's different," he said. "Just...different from girls." Sakura wanted to ask more, she wanted details—explanations—but Naruto shifted uncomfortably and directed a question at her. "What about you?"

"Huh?" she asked intelligently.

"Well, why are you bringing this up? Have you kissed any girls before?"

Sakura sighed despondently, "No..."

"Huh," he mumbled noncommittally. "And here I thought lots of girls did that."

Sakura shook her had negatively, refusing to look at him. "Real life isn't like one of your perverted fantasies," she mumbled.

Naruto gave a pleasant laugh.

"You almost seem disappointed." He pointed out.

Sakura chewed on her bottom lip and fiddled her fingers, not denying it.

"Well why don't you try it with Ino or something?" Naruto suggested in a weak attempt to help. His eyes took a distant look and a perverted grin stretched across his face. It didn't take Sakura's huge brain behind that forehead to figure out what he was thinking about.

"Idiot!" she cried. She pounded him on the head to successfully knock _that _particular fantasy out of it. "Besides," she added quietly, "I don't think Ino would go for it. We've kind of passed the age where it's okay to experiment."

"Nah," Naruto waved her off, grinning at the implication that she had at least thought about it. "You're never too old to experiment."

Sakura, feeling slightly better, was inclined to agree. They were left in a comfortable silence, both teens looking out across the river and enjoying each other's company.

"Do you really want to try it?" Naruto asked suddenly.

"What?" She was looking at him again, and a small feeling of dread filled her belly at the expression on his face—an expression she remembered all too well from their academy days. Devious and promising mischievousness.

"Kissing a girl."

"Why?" she inquired, giving him a suspicious look.

He only grinned at her in response, that devilish spark in his eye. He lifted his fingers in a familiar hand sign. A poof of smoke enshrouded him for an instant and suddenly Sakura no longer sat next to her male teammate—she sat next to a girl. One clad in orange and black, with long blonde hair pulled into pigtails, big blue eyes, a pert nose, full lips and three lines along each cheek.

"Eh? N-Naruto? What are you doing?"

Naruto rested a smaller, finer hand on the railing right next to Sakura's hip and leaned toward the older girl.

"You want to try kissing a girl, don't you?" she purred with heavy lidded eyes. Sakura looked stricken under the lustful gaze, blushing horribly to the roots of her hair.

"No way!" she yelled. She spun away from the water and hopped off the railing onto the bridge.

"See, this is your problem," Naruto said, slipping off the rail as well. She crossed her arms over her chest looking annoyed. "Stop letting your inhibitions hold you back. Do you want to be a prude forever?"

"Hey! I'm no prude! At least I'm not a tramp!"

**Yeah, who the hell are you calling a prude, bitch! Shannaro!**

Naruto's laugh was somehow dainty as well as cynical, and her sapphire eyes hardened.

"Then prove it." When Sakura made no indication she would change her mind she said, "You can take down an Akatsuki member but you can't kiss someone?"

"But you're not even a real girl!" Sakura argued.

"Sure I am!" Naruto said cheerfully, and she pranced right up to the pink-haired girl, grabbed one of her hands, and placed it on a D sized breast. "See?"

Sakura didn't even think to move her hand away. Underneath her fingers was the warm, soft feeling of a woman's breast. She gave it an experimental squeeze to confirm it.

"How—?"

"Now I know you didn't think I was prancing around in a henge all these years..." Naruto demanded teasingly.

"Naruto..." Sakura gasped, finally taking her hand away from the other girl's chest. "This is really advanced! To manage to change your whole gender...that's just..."

Naruto gave an uneasy laugh and scratched the back of her head much in the same manner as her male counterpart would.

"Yeah...it requires a lot of chakra though. I was actually surprised Konohamaru managed it so young..."

"You have a lot of chakra though," Sakura pointed out. "How long do you think you could hold that form?"

"Oh, at least a couple months," he stated airily. Sakura's sea-green eyes rounded.

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I don't. After a while my emotions and feelings get all weird and out of whack and stuff."

Sakura closed her eyes and nodded to herself. It made sense, since girls had different hormones than boys and their bodies were at a very crucial, demanding age.

"So, are we gunna do this or what?"

Sakura's eyes sprang back open and stared back at the eager-looking blond standing only an armslength away.

"I—I...um..." She wanted to, really, she did. Not only to satisfy her own curiosity but to prove to Naruto and anyone else that she was _not_ a prude. She was fun and adventurous and _why could she suddenly feel soft puffs of warm air on her face?_

It seemed Naruto made the decision for her and was closing in. One warm hand had cupped her left cheek, stroking a soothing rhythm with the pad of its thumb across the soft flesh of her cheek, while the other went to rest on her right hip. Naruto was almost nose-to-nose with Sakura, moist lips hovering just over her own. She lifted her wide, anxious eyes to meet a relaxed and hazy gaze.

"Naruto—"

"You need to loosen up, Sakura."

Each word left a draft of tepid air to feather across her mouth and it distracted Sakura from noticing the drop of the suffix. Her insides twisted in a weird mania and she couldn't tell if it was due to discomfort or excitement.

She saw Naruto close her eyes and soon followed suit once she felt velvety skin touch against her mouth. It was a light kiss, barely even felt, but before she could think of opening her eyes again the lips were back, the pressure increased. She felt Naruto's mouth open a bit against hers with the next point of contact to give a little suction to her top lip, then again to her bottom lip. It carried on for a bit like that before Sakura thought to return the favor, the kiss steadily growing more heated as their lips convened with each other.

Sakura didn't know when she wrapped one are around a small orange waist and raised the other to bury it in downy, blonde tendrils. She nearly pulled away when she felt Naruto's tongue slip through her parted lips and glide along her teeth, the bare tip of it tickling her own tongue. Instead she decided to open her mouth a bit wider to allow Naruto access, hesitantly bringing her own tongue forwards and mimicking the actions.

Never had she felt this good from a kiss. There was a light fluttering in her chest and a warm tingling began between her legs. She could really learn a lot from Naruto...her insides were a complete mess of sensations.

Therefore, it came as no surprised when a small whine of protest sounded in the back of her throat when Naruto slowly pulled away from her. A small trail of saliva connected their kiss-swollen lips before Naruto dived back in and gave it a quick, playful lick.

Sakura slowly opened her eyes, letting the sensations of the kiss die down. Her breathing was still a bit heavy from their activities.

"See?" Naruto giggled and transformed back to her normal form before continuing, "That wasn't so bad now was it?"

The change in voice pitch managed to jerk Sakura the rest of the way back to reality. She focused on the man in front of her; he was taller than her once more, no more delicate hands or wide set hips or _real_ breasts. But upon closer inspection she could see his lips were still bruised and wet from the kiss. She wanted to feel embarrassed but she couldn't. Not with Naruto giving her his reassuring, easy smile that made everything seem alright. She loved that smile. Sure things had changed between them now; she could no longer consider them _just_ friends. It was a little bit more than that, a stage that had no name. But everything was going to be alright.

"I...Naruto, thank you." She said with real sincerity.

"Heh. No problem, Sakura-Chan!" he replied casually, his infectious grin still in place. "Anytime you need to kiss someone I'll be more than happy to help."

"Yeah, I'll bet you will." She muttered dryly, but she was very sure now that she wouldn't mind at all. If it was that good kissing him as a girl, then as a boy he would be...

**Take him up on that offer!**

_Quiet you._

"You're really good at that," Sakura admitted to him as the two began to walk back to their respective homes. "The kissing, I mean."

"Yeah well," he said nervously, his hand flying to the back of his head again, "I've had a lot of practice."

She was reminded of their earlier conversation about his own experiences.

"Naruto," she paused a moment before pushing forward, "you're really...loose...aren't you?"

Naruto frowned, thoughtful, and for a moment she was afraid she had offended him.

"I wouldn't say _loose_," he decided in a light manner, comforting her that he was not upset. "I'm just...not picky."

Sakura giggled at his excuse, waving as she turned the street corner to part ways. She almost missed the quieter statement that followed it up, probably meant only for his own ears.

"I really can't afford to be."

And as she watched his back fade into the darkened streets of Konoha, somehow she got the feeling he meant more than just the dangers of a shinobi's life.

**0o0o0o0o**

* * *

**0o0o0o0o**

Never did I ever think I would write a yuri. Of some sort anyway. But I did! I was sitting in my English class and this is what was going through my head at the time. Not Faustus.

Anyway, this was just for fun...so review! It'll entertain me, even if it's mean.


	2. Temptations

**Temptations**

It had been four days and Sakura had not seen Naruto since 'the kiss' as she liked to call it in her mind. While she herself was partly responsible for actively avoiding any encounter with him, she did notice his unexplainable absence from his usual hang outs. She recalled Kakashi-sensei talking something about Naruto surpassing him back when he was in the hospital. According to Tsunade-sama, he, Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-sensei were all working on some super technique that Naruto was developing. She tried prying into the matter but Tsunade-sama would only smile knowingly and give her more work to do.

Not that she wanted to see Naruto at the moment. It wasn't until she came home that fateful night—half way through dinner with her parents—did the severity of her actions finally dawn upon her. _'Oh my God...I kissed Naruto!'_ were the exact thoughts that ran through her mind, causing her to choke on a mouth full of rice. She rolled sentence around over and over again in her head for the rest of the night, costing her hours of sleep, and it continued through much of the morning. It shook her because now that the opportunity was upon her she felt that she wasn't ready to let go of Sasuke yet. Not to mention it was _Naruto_—the annoying, loudmouth, hyperactive, orange-clad perverted idiot. God, what was she thinking?

But after the initial mind-numbing shock and horror wore down, she was able to look past the logical points of the event and focus more on the emotional aspects. As it turned out, that simple but meaningful action was the much needed fuse that lit the fire beneath her path to maturity.

Ever since 'the kiss' there had been a large spike in her hormones...enough for Tsunade-sama to notice at any rate, though the woman had yet to mention anything. The pink-haired beauty found herself feeling...hornier? Friskier? She didn't quite know how to describe it. All she knew was that wayward dreams involving the Kyuubi container began to consume her nights leaving her sweaty and wet and flushed when she woke the next morning. Sometimes her fiery inner self would curse the boy for putting her in the situation in the first place; he was the catalyst for it all. Other times she blamed it on herself—she deprived herself of any physicality for so long that it was only logical that the figmental dam would break sooner or later. However, no matter whom she laid the blame with in the end, she couldn't deny that she had ever felt more like a woman.

Unfortunately, her blissful feelings about embracing womanhood were squashed mercilessly and she was thrown once again into the harsh reality of the world when the news of Asuma-sensei's death reached her ears. She was just outside her master's office when Kotetsu, Izumo and Shikamaru relayed the devastating news to the Hokage. Her body was frozen as the word's echoed in her mind.

'_Akatsuki has killed Asuma...Akatsuki has killed Asuma...'_

She wanted to feel sorrow for the Jounin's fate; sorrow for the students he left behind. And she did. But at the same time she was aware of a small sense of relief and all she could think was,_ 'Thank God it wasn't Naruto'_.

As one would have thought, the funeral was a dismal affair. Another Sarutobi was down for the count, and while it didn't rain, the sky was bulking with dark clouds and the air was cold and thick. The event ended just as gloomily as it had started, and multitudes of black-clad ninja and civilians left the burial ground to spend the rest of the mournful day in the comfort of their homes and families.

She wanted to go speak to Ino first. She couldn't begin to imagine the pain the bleach-blonde must be in to loose a teammate and sensei so suddenly. Sure, Sasuke was taken from her, but there was still a chance of retrieving him. For Asuma-sensei, there was no turning back time. An important figure in Ino's life was gone forever. But then Sakura saw her rival walking away with Chouji, no doubt to find the third member of team 10.

Sighing, but understanding the need for the remaining team members to spend some time together, she turned to find her own teammate through the slowly dispersing crowed. She had seen him earlier consoling the Konohamaru boy. But when she looked to where they were standing earlier, it was just the young brunette alone in front of his uncle's tombstone and wiping his runny nose on the back of his arm.

She approached the genin and asked softly, "Konohamaru, do you know where Naruto went?"

He looked up at her with bloodshot eyes, blinking a few times to clear the blurriness the tears left and focus on her face. He then nodded and silently pointed to the five faces of the Hokage monument.

Sakura squinted at the rock formation and could make out a black dot working its way up the left side of the Yondaime's nose. She gently patted the weeping child on the head.

"Thank you," she replied and took off to where the blond goof went.

She had managed to make it to the top of the fourth's head within five minutes via roof-jumping. The quick climb up the stairs had left her panting in her haste and had her wondering why Naruto always liked to climb up here. Then she remembered he was a stamina freak.

Speaking of the hyperactive ninja...

He was standing on the grooved terrain that made up the Yondaime's hair, facing the village he cherished so much. His back was to her, and the dark sky made it difficult to read anything from his posture. She could only see his hair whipping wildly in the winds that had picked up since the start of the funeral, leaving it more untamed than usual. It was sure to rain soon.

"Hey Sakura-chan," he turned to face her with a disgustingly forced smile. The dim light that the heavily filtered sun provided shadowed his face, but her trained eyes were able to see that something was paining him. Sakura frowned.

"Are you alright...?" she started to approach him and he quickly turned back to the rock face.

"Of course I am." He assured her. His voice was light and chipper, "Shouldn't you be checking on Ino and the others? Those guys must be taking it hard. I mean...poor Kurenai-sensei..."

"I don't think Ino's the one who needs me right now." She replied shrewdly and she saw his shoulder's sag a little. He must have been hoping she'd leave him alone.

"Naruto..." she said and placed a hand on his black-clad shoulder, tugging it a little so that he would turn to face her. He complied and showed her his deadened eyes. She was dismayed to see that his expression depicted regret and hopelessness, something she saw in his eyes a little too often for her tastes these days.

But there was also anger and self-loathing, which concerned her even more. She didn't think now would be an appropriate time to tell him how good he looked in black.

"Naruto..." she said sympathetically, "you can't possibly be thinking of blaming yourself?"

He looked away from her, steadying his gaze back over Konoha.

"Asuma wasn't a Jinchuuriki and that's all the Akatsuki want right now. My being here compromises the village's safety and Tsunade knows that. That's why she's even bothering to involve our shinobi...because I'm here."

"You—you don't know that," she said, even though she was aware of the Niju Shotai Tsunade had assembled.

"How many more people are going to die before this is over..." she could hear bitterness in his tone that she didn't think she would ever hear from him.

"We're shinobi," she soothed, "We're going to die sometime."

Naruto was shaking his head as if he wasn't listening to her. Or didn't want to.

"He didn't need to die for this...not like this. He shouldn't have. Not—not for me..." she could see his jaw clench as he gritted his teeth and self-loathing dominated his face.

Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Why not for you?" she asked stridently, feeling a sudden explainable rush of anger at him for being so perplexing. "Why do you always think you're not worth dying for?"

"Because _I'm_ supposed to be the sacrifice."

"Damn it Naruto!" she shouted and he jumped, turning to face her with wide, startled eyes. "These things are out of your control, why can't you see that? You can't put every death caused by those bastards on your hands! You're only human!"

To her astonishment he snorted and turned away from her for the third time.

"Am I?"

That had done it. She didn't hold back when she punched him too the ground. He probably saw the hit coming but had made no attempt to avoid it and allowed his back to be planted into the dirt by the freakishly strong hit. His cheek smarted something awful; that woman could sure pack a punch.

Sakura walked up to him, he could hear her boots crunching in the dirt as she approached but he remained still nonetheless, fully expecting her to kick him in the stomach or just pick him up to knock him down again. He didn't care.

So it surprised him when she dropped to her knees by his side. His eyes focused on her face and he was stunned to see plump tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Sakura-chan...?"

"You really are an idiot, you know that?" she whispered and dropped down onto him, spread herself over his torso, pressing their chests together and resting her head under her chin. Her legs curled under themselves by his side. "You're more human than any of those monsters down there."

Her voice was unforgiving as she referred to the village and their treatment of him. Getting closer to him had opened her eyes to the abuse and neglect he suffered at the very hands of the people he wanted to protect. She was once apart of that, but she had seen the errors of her ways; she had seen the beautiful person hidden behind a disreputable demon, and she would spend the rest of her life if she had to making it up to him.

"They've beaten you down so much you don't have any self-value left, do you?" She wept into his neck. "You don't even know what a special person you are..."

She felt his hand lift and start to brush down the cherry mane on the back of her head.

"Please don't be angry with them..." She could feel his Adam's apple vibrating against her ear and found it calmed her tears. "They're just hurting. It's easier for them if they can hate me as an outlet for their pain. You have to understand—they suffered a lot when the Kyuubi attacked."

Sakura felt a sudden surge of hate for the very villagers that she swore to protect, something she thought she would never feel.

"But about your pain?" she asked harshly, "Your suffering? Doesn't that matter?"

"Please," he said again, but his voice sounded a bit thicker, "They-they don't know any better."

"It doesn't justify how they treat you. How they look at you—!" she felt the tears start up again in her frustration.

"It doesn't need to," he placated, using his other hand to rub her back and relax her. "Look at it this way: If a child said they hated you for denying them something they wanted but shouldn't have...you wouldn't hate them back, would you?"

"...no."

"Of course not. You would love them anyway and hope that one day they would understand you only have their best interest at heart. And as future Hokage, it's my job to care for everyone...even if they don't appreciate it...yet."

She lifted her head and looked at him in wonder, amazed at depth of the words he had just spoken; their chins were now perpendicular from each other.

"When did you get so wise?"

He grinned cockily at her.

"I've always been wise; just never was that smart."

She snorted, which developed into a giggled. He grinned at her and sat up, taking her up with him. As he stood he offered her a hand up, which she accepted.

"Are you alright now?" he asked, wiping away a stray tear on her face.

"Yeah I—wait a minute...I came up here to comfort you!"

Naruto only grinned at her, his eyes twinkling.

"Come on," he said in that kind voice he too often used for her, "let's go back down. I'm sure Kakashi-sensei's wondering where we ran off too."

He headed in the direction of the stairs leading back down to the village but was stopped by Sakura impulsively grabbing onto his arm.

"Naruto..."

"Hmm?" He looked back at her, confused as to why she stopped him. He did the foxy cocking the head to the side thing that she both loved and hated.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out. He seemed, if possible, even more confused.

"Sorry for what?"

"For avoiding you...since the—the bridge..." she trailed off, avoiding his eyes. She hadn't realized that she still had a hold on his wrist.

Naruto shook his head disapprovingly at her.

"Sakura look at me," he said, and against her will her eyes moved to his face. "You have nothing to apologize for; I was away training this whole time so we wouldn't have seen each other anyway. And I'm sorry if I made things uncomfortable for you...that was never my intention. I certainly didn't want to make things awkward between us. I know I can get a little pushy at times..."

Now it was Sakura who was shaking her head.

"You don't need to apologize either. I wanted it...no really, I did," she insisted at his dubious look, "I needed it even..."

An idea had struck her. Well, it was actually more of a desire.

With the shocking death of Asuma-sensei, and the ever growing threat of Orochimaru and Akatsuki, she realized that any one of their lives could end soon. She did not want to loose Naruto or any of her precious people, but she wasn't in charge of their fates. Therefore, she wanted to make each day count...

"Do you remember that offer you gave me?" she asked vaguely. Naruto scrunched up his face and took his time thinking about it.

"Uh...nope! Heh heh..."

Sakura sighed and shook her head.

"You know. The one where, if I ever needed to kiss someone..."

Naruto's face showed recognition and then barely concealed hope.

"Yeah...?"

Sakura swallowed and stepped closer to him, the toes of her boots touching his open-toed sandals.

"I want to see what it's like...to kiss you as a guy," her face was red and she hoped he wouldn't read too much into it, but it was something that she craved. For the last few days she couldn't stop thinking about that kiss or the feelings it awakened or Naruto.

When had Naruto begun to consume her thoughts like this?

"Y-you do?" he asked in disbelief, feeling her place both her palms on his chest as she neared him. It seemed too good to be true in his eyes. Sure, she wasn't saying she wanted to date him or anything...but she really wanted him to kiss her as himself? Even when she knew what he was?

"Yes." She said softly. Her eyes were already closed; moist pink lips parted and loomed toward him. For a second he saw the likeness of a twelve year old Sakura. Long rose hair, red dress, sitting on a park bench and leaning towards the boy who she thought was Sasuke with the very same face she was showing him now.

"Okay," he whispered and took the proffered lips with his own in one fluid motion, grabbing the sleeves of her funeral wear and pulling her close to his body. The pressure he put on her mouth forced her head to tilt back. It was a long kiss, much more intense than their last one, and in it he poured some of the hurt, confusion, and grief that she was willing to help him bear. Their mouths moved together in sync, but it was Naruto who directed the turn of the heads and when to deepen the kiss, adding tongues to the mix. It was his hands who first started to explore the other, caressing her sides, smoothing his palms across her lower back, fingering the line of her spine. In return, her hands journeyed up from his chest and her fingers danced over the contours of his neck and shoulders, feeling the defined muscles and bones that were revealed as his baby fat wasted away over the years. She found his hair to be soft and almost feathery...like fur.

Sakura felt overwhelmed by his close proximity. Whereas before, when he was girl-Naruto, they were of similar height and weight, there was no domination with the kiss (well, slightly due to the fact that Naruto had initiated it and was more aware of things). But now, now that Naruto was wholly male, she felt so small pressed against his larger frame and completely at his mercy as he dominated her mouth. Surprisingly, it was this sudden weakness that called upon a pleasurable rush and she became at ease, feeling completely secure in his arms.

Carnal desires were alight and the kiss became more heated, their touches burned and they craved more; hands grew bolder as a breast was brushed and an ass was gripped and hips began grinding sensually. She loved the way their bodies curved together; her softness molding perfectly to his firm physique. She loved the noises they made together; the smacking of their lips, the deep panting, the uncontrolled spongy moans.

Sakura had initially thought that his lips would be more chapped, like with the other guys in her brief kissing exploits before him. But they were smooth and faultless. It didn't surprise her that much but maybe made her a little bit jealous. After all, with his regenerating ability he never scarred or calloused. Seeing him fishing in just his boxers many times in her youth left her with the knowledge that his skin was devoid of any blemishes, perfectly smooth and tan. He was beginning to seem almost ethereal in her mind with his selfless personality and sound body.

Naruto suddenly stilled and his breath hitched when her fingers caressed the three scars adorning his cheek during her mission to memorize his face by contact.

"Shit, don't touch those," he hastily breathed into her mouth before moving back in to kiss her. She pulled away before his lips could make contact and opened her eyes, her breathing coming out harsh.

"Don't touch what?" she asked in a low voice. She was trying to keep her heart from hammering so hard against her breast but couldn't with Naruto's face was hovering inches above her own, the air from his soft panting washing over her lips, and his misty blue eyes bored effectively into her own.

"My..."

Eyes narrowing, she rubbed the lines once more with the side of her thumb. Naruto's eyelids fluttered shut and his body gave a small jerk as he moaned carelessly, biting his lip. Sakura, holding his reaction under heavy scrutiny, didn't think she had ever seen anything sexier.

"They're sensitive..." he managed, opening his eyes once more. His face had adopted a rather red tinge at seeing her study him so intently but he didn't pull away from her planted hand.

"What are these?" she asked, searching his eyes with her own. She had to fight the urge to rub them again just to see that sensuous response. Naruto looked like he was having an internal debate about whether to tell her or not. In the end he gave an audible sigh and appeared to have agreed to answer her question.

"They are the mark of a Jinchuuriki," he explained. Sakura stepped back a bit, having not expected an answer like that at all. Well if that wasn't a mood killer she didn't know what was. Naruto dropped his arms from her and stepped away as well, giving them a couple feet of distance.

"How so?"

"It's different for each vessel." He explained slowly, "Gaara had the black circles around his eyes that symbolized the tanuki and its nocturnal-ness. I have the whiskers of a fox so... they're sensitive. Um, I don't know any other vessels personally so that's it for any examples from me."

He tried to grin evenly but she could see it was strained.

"Stop it." She said sternly. His eyes opened from his squinted grin and he looked at her in shock.

"Stop what?"

"Don't pretend with me...please," she begged. She was looking up at him with shining eyes.

"I don't—"

"You know perfectly well what I mean, Uzumaki Naruto!" she said his full name to emphasize how serious she was. "Don't give me fake smiles. After all we've been through together can't you at least trust me enough to be yourself?"

"Sakura," he said, a little moved, "Of course I trust you"

"Then prove it. When you're not happy then be unhappy. It's okay to seek comfort from your friends, you know."

"I—ok."

She smiled at him and realized how comfortable she was in his presence despite the steamy kiss they just shared. The boy seemed to be oblivious to the possibility that their recent byplays could compromise their friendship. He was so passionate; a live in the moment type of guy. She wished she could have that kind of courage and envied him for it.

"I think now would be a good time to head back down," he said. She agreed with him and the pair set off down the long flight of steps, side by side. It didn't escape her notice that they were walking close enough together that their arms often brushed against each other.

"So...they're like actual whiskers?" she asked. There was an amused and mischievous sparkle in her olive eyes that usually belonged to her inner personality.

Naruto smiled at her endless curiosity.

"Yeah. It really depends on the situation to what they actually do though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah...like if I'm in a comfortable setting, touching them would usually relax me. Hell, it would probably put me to sleep."

She looked at him impishly, "I'll be sure to remember that."

He granted her a nervous grin and gulped. He probably shouldn't have divulged _that_ particular information.

"But what about when I touched them earlier," she asked, a happy blush materialized as she reminisced, "That certainly didn't put you to sleep."

"Ah, that, well," he was blushing as well now, "You see...when I'm feeling...erm... aroused, I guess, they serve as a...uh..."

"Stimulant?" she added helpfully, liking the implications. He began to pull at the neckline of his shirt and blushed adorably.

"Y-yeah."

"Hmmm..."

They had reached the base of the mountain by now and were well on their way into the village. The silence between them was comfortable but something began to trouble Sakura's mind as she fingered her still bruised lips. Naruto noticed her subtle actions and the bothered expression on her face.

"Sakura? What's wrong?"

Sakura looked at his earnest face and wondered when he stopped adding the suffix to her name. She decided to address the matter on her mind with him now rather than spending another few days avoiding him.

"Naruto, I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me...I mean, I enjoy kissing you, but you're one of my best friends and—"

Naruto held up a hand to stop her from speaking further.

"Sakura, its ok. I understand." His voice was so soft spoken she had to wonder if it was really him. "This doesn't mean we have a romantic relationship or anything. I'm not trying to push you to move on or something."

"I know," she mumbled, "But I also don't want to be another one of those girls you just...you know."

Naruto stopped walking and stared at her, seeming unsure of how to take that.

"Sakura...you'll never be just one of those girls," he said sounding hurt and she was sure that what she said must have upset him, "And I don't know what kind of conclusions you drew when I told you about my trip, but I'm not like Ero-sennin. I didn't have a bunch of one night stands, you know."

His voice had turned a bit angry an accusatory by the end and she felt panicked.

"I'm sorry!" she said honestly. She grabbed his arm, afraid that he would walk away from her, "I know you're not like that Naruto. I'm sorry for even suggesting it."

"I know," he replied and kept walking. Sakura didn't let go of his arm. The clouds, it seemed, had reached their limit and it began to drizzle.

"This is my place," She said when she stopped walking.

"Hm?" Naruto snapped back to attention to gaze at the substantial and inviting house that he vaguely remembered her living in. "So it is."

"So...what are we, anyway?" she asked. She had to find some sort of closure; she was not going to spend another sleepless night thinking about this knucklehead. Naruto glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. The rain had plastered his hair down to his head and it made her realize how good it looked hanging strait down like that.

"How does friends with benefits sound?" he asked with a hopeful grin; he obviously forgave her for her early allegation. "You can call all the shots too."

Sakura thought on it for a minute. Had he asked her this after their first kiss, she would have called him a pervert and knocked him halfway across fire country. But she couldn't deny that she enjoyed Naruto's company, she enjoyed who she became in his company, and she certainly enjoyed his ministrations. So who was she to deny her feelings, even if she couldn't place them just yet?

"Fine," she answered with a grin to match his own. "But like you said, I call the shots."

Here eyes were glued to Naruto's grinning, wet face. His blonde locks were darkened into a tawny color and hung over his eyes. She followed the water droplets as they rolled down the clear skin of his face, over the bumps of his cheekbones and around the curves of his lips. God, he had such nice lips. She really, really wanted to kiss him right now.

She leaned into him, hoping to steal a kiss before she went inside, but was interrupted when the front door opened, bathing them in a golden light. Mrs. Haruno appeared to be relieved to see her daughter and wiped her hands on an apron, dirty from cooking dinner.

"Sakura! There you are. We were wondering—oh..." Her mother trailed off as she saw the demon vessel standing next to her only child.

Sakura saw the unreadable expression on her mother's face and was momentarily confused, until she noticed Naruto looking uncharacteristically timid; scuffing his shoes in the dirt and staring at his feet.

It was then Sakura recalled her mother's reaction when she was first assigned to team seven; anger, fear, hate. It all made sense to her now.

Oh, she was going to have a talk with her parents.

"Mom, I'll be in, in a minute."

"Saku—"

"Go mom!" there was an edge in her voice that shocked the Haruno matron into actually obeying. She sent an apprehensive look at Naruto before entering the house. Sakura had no doubt in her mind that her parents were a part of the many people who gave her teammate such a hard time.

"Naruto, I'm sorry for whatever my parents might have done to you in the past—"

"Forget about it."

"Na—"

"It's fine." He assured her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and was gazing at her with soft, understanding eyes. She lost herself in their profundity for the moment and had no choice but to trust him. He leaned forwards and placed a downy kiss on her cheek, making her draw a small but pleased breath. "Now get inside before you get sick."

She reluctantly obeyed and walked to her front door. When Naruto saw her begin to enter he dug his hands into his pockets and began to trudge through the growing puddles of mud.

"Naruto!" The boy turned at the sound of Sakura calling back to him. She was standing half way out her door; the warm light inside filtered out into the rainy air. "I meant it, earlier, when I said you were my best friend."

She gave him a pretty smile and shut the door behind her. Naruto stood in frozen disbelief as his clothes steadily began to soak up the moisture around him. A goofy smile slowly spread across his face and he began to stroll back to his apartment; his heart feeling lighter than it had in years.

0o0o0o0o

* * *

0o0o0o0o

Wow...this was going to be a one shot...but hey, I really, really like NaruSaku now. Just out of nowhere, I got hit by the ship.

That and chapter 330 of the manga got me into this again.

As you can see there's no real plot to this story. Just love.

I'd be cool if you reviewed. Now.


	3. Realizations

**Realizations**

"_Mother!_"

Yori Haruno jumped at the aggressive tone of her daughter's voice, nearly dropping the plate of grilled fish that she was placing on the table. She sighed, knowing that this conversation had to come sooner or later, and ran a hand through her fading pink hair.

"How could you?" the young Haruno yelled, storming into the kitchen. She didn't seem to care about the large puddles of water she trailed behind her from her rain-soaked state.

"Sakura please understand...I'm just not comfortable with you near him—"

"There's nothing to understand!" She interrupted with an attitude that would usually get her punished, "Naruto has done nothing to you, _nothing!_"

"If you knew what he really was you would know why I don't trust him," Yori tried to explain. If it weren't for the third's law she would be able to make her daughter see the truth—that she was just doing what was best for her.

"I know about the Kyuubi if that's what you're suggesting," Sakura spat out contemptuously. Wizened hazel eyes widened and the disrespectful tone brushed right by.

"How...? The law..."

"Naruto told me," Sakura said in a softer voice but with just as much resentment, "because I'm his _friend_ and he _trusts_ me like I _trust_ him."

She took brutal satisfaction with every flinch her mother made at the amicable terms. As her desperation at her daughter's unawareness increased, the lines in Yori's face seemed to deepen, giving her an older appearance.

"Sakura, please! He's dangerous; he could attack you any minute!"

"And I could attack him any minute," Sakura countered, "He is not the Kyuubi, mom, he's just a boy."

"He is not just a boy, Sakura!" her mother yelled back, her frustration finally taking the best of her, "You weren't there..." her voice began shaking, "You didn't see your brother get crushed at the hands of that—that—_It can't be contained!_"

Sakura stamped her foot on the floor, matching her mother's voice level.

"It is contained! It is! I've seen Naruto use its power; I've seen him use it and I've seen him use his own! There's a difference!"

Her mother was shaking her head, refusing to listen to her daughter's assertions, refusing to change beliefs that she held for nearly sixteen years. She began talking, but more so to herself. She didn't seem to see her daughter standing before her anymore as her mind took her back to that fateful night.

"It...it was so _evil_. And he walks around, among us—the people he hurt—like he deserves to be called a human. No...he deserves to suffer as we have suffered...he deserves everything he got!"

Tears were running down her mother's face, and though she had only seen such a sight a handful of times in her life, Sakura felt no sympathy for the woman. No, for the first time felt absolute disgust at her mother—disgust for being the daughter of her.

Sakura swallowed and stepped away from the distraught woman. She felt a coldness seep through her body, granting her an unsettling strength.

"You hurt him, didn't you?" It wasn't really a question because she didn't want to know the answer. Naruto had never said anything directly to her, he wouldn't have; he wasn't the type to, but she wasn't the smartest kunoichi of her age for nothing. She could string together the pieces of his guarded life almost as well as Shikamaru.

"Do you have any idea what people like you have done to him?" she hissed while fighting back tears of her own. She had to be strong; she had to make her mother understand, "He was an innocent child! You can't treat children like that no matter who they are!"

Yori seemed to realize her mistake and how bad it made her sound.

"I never physically hurt the boy. In fact I was much more...tolerant of him than most others."

This did not help her argument at all. In fact, it only served to make Sakura's recent contempt for her mother and the village rise.

"What is with all the screaming?" The two females of the house turned at the soft spoken voice. Matsu Haruno, a middle-aged business man with jade eyes and peppered brown hair stared at the bickering pair, taking in the tears on his wife's face and her daughter's furious, shaking fists.

"Dad!"

"Matsu!"

"Dad," Sakura rushed, "you understand that Naruto is not the Kyuubi. He's one of the kindest people in Konoha and he would never hurt anyone intentionally!"

"He's a demon," his wife added harshly, "you saw what he did to our son and now he wants to take our daughter away from us! He was out there with her tonight—"

"Will you listen to yourself?" Sakura cried, "You sound psychotic!"

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, young lady." her mother snapped, "You have crossed the line one too many times tonight."

"Coming from the woman who terrorizes small children—"

"Enough, you two," Matsu commanded, holding his hands up for silence. Both women fell silent and directed their attention back to him but the hostility was still thick in the air. "Now, I don't know what brought this on, but we will not be fighting like this in my house. Do you understand?"

He received two reluctant nods.

"Tell her dad," Sakura pleaded, knowing her father was a reasonable man, "tell her she's wrong."

Matsu sighed, not being able to fight the sea-green puppy eyes.

"Well...the shinobi of our village seem to respect him, as does the Hokage..." he trailed off at the betrayed look on his wife's face, "Of course we must take into account that foxes are known to be tricksters so..."

"Ugh! I knew it!" Sakura screamed suddenly, causing the reserved man to jump. "Of course you would take her side!"

"Now Sakura—"

"No! I don't want to hear it!" she stormed past her father and out of the kitchen, "I'm going to my room—don't speak to me!"

She made sure to stomp on each step as hard as she could. She didn't care if she came off as being immature; she just wanted to express her anger via violence.

"Hunny, your food—!"

"I'm not hungry!"

The angry statement was followed by the loud slamming of a door.

Matsu sighed and gave his wife a disappointed look, who returned one of complete innocence.

"What?"

It took quite a while before Sakura could calm down enough to find sleep—the empty stomach certainly didn't help matters either. What her mother said shook her to the core and made her curiosity about Naruto's past burn more than ever. Just to what extent was the village's abuse of him? What kind of pain did he hide behind those exaggerated smiles? For how long did he suffer through this alone?

She managed to calm herself with acknowledging that there weren't so many harsh looks these days; the chuunin exams three years ago had helped a lot with convincing the populace that he was a genuine and loyal shinobi of Konoha.

After a few yet satisfying hours of sleep, Sakura woke to find half her covers kicked to the ground and her pillow underneath her back. God only knows what she did in her sleep. Shrugging off the thought, she sat up in her bed giving a hearty yawn and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She stood and made her way over to her window, drawing the curtains and letting the warm morning sun wash over her rather girlish room. Padding her way towards the shower, a bright red marking on her calendar caught her eye. She leaned towards the chart and grinned as she read her little note. In her fury the earlier night, she had forgotten what she had planned today. She rushed into the bathroom wanting to get ready as fast as possible. Hopefully she could catch Naruto early before he left to train; she wanted to make sure he was invited as well.

0o0o0o0o

* * *

0o0o0o0o

The whole of rookie nine was gathered at Kiba's house for a small get-together. They had been doing this for the last couple of years; every once in a while someone would make the time to invite everyone for a gathering—just to make sure their ties remained strong through all the missions and whatnot. She couldn't remember who's idea it was in the beginning or why but it had become a bit of a tradition. Being as Naruto was away since this started, this was the first one he got to attend.

It was a comfortable setting. The room was dimly lit, and the rookie nine plus team Gai were all scattered around on various pieces of furniture or the floor. The ground and tables were littered with half-eaten snacks and drinks. The air hummed with the chatting going around between everyone; the young ninjas were at ease catching up with each others' personal lives, exchanging training tactics and gossip.

Sakura and Naruto happily listened in from their personal corner of the couch they staked out, but didn't join for neither felt like drawing any attention to themselves. Sakura's form was curled around a pillow at the far end of the plushy red couch with Naruto seated on the ground right under her. His back was pressed against the base of the couch with his legs bent close to his body, and his head rested neatly against her thighs. Sakura contented herself with lacing her fingers alternatively through his soft hair and down his whiskered cheeks. The blond seemed to be in heaven. The nerves of his 'whiskers' sent warm, humming vibes down his body, forcing him into a blissful relaxation.

'_Now this is true happiness...'_ Sakura thought to herself as she looked down on the inebriated boy fondly. She knew at that moment that she was ready to admit she felt something a little more than friendship for her teammate.

Across the room, sitting cross-legged in a curbed circle, were the other three girls of the gang enjoying their own deep conversation of ethics.

"I mean, I can't believe he just walked away like that...after everything I just confessed to the cold hearted bastard!" Tenten steamed as she retold her venture for the third time, hoping to get some advice or commiseration. Hinata was patting her shoulder sympathetically but seemed slightly entertained about something that Tenten didn't catch.

"A-at least you got even with him, right?"

"Ha! Yeah I did. That jerk won't be walking strait for a while."

Ino wasn't listening to either girl. Her brows were furrowed as she kept her eyes on Sakura's fingers lighting brushing up and down the strange stripes on Naruto's cheeks. The boy's face was relaxed in a way she had never seen before; his eyes were half closed and hazed. There was something about the sight that was intimate...sensual...sexual, even.

Ino frowned. Was there something going on between them?

The last she knew Sakura was still secretly in love with Uchiha Sasuke. Could it be that she had moved on?

The female of team ten stared hard at Naruto, trying to pinpoint what it was exactly that attracted Sakura to him. She had only seen him a couple times since he returned, and they were all brief encounters. It was obvious to anyone that he had physically matured and could even be considered borderline handsome. He was no longer the runt of the litter being as tall as the other boys, his face had thinned out from the plump baby-cheeks, and he seemed generally calmer, not shouting out stupidities at every opportunity. Strait nose, crystalline blue eyes lined with dark lashes, unruly golden locks contrasting nicely with tanned skin—okay, so he was a bit more than borderline handsome.

Her frown deepened as she observed the loving way Sakura gazed down on him, how he seemed to cherish her touch, returning to her a tender look that spoke volumes. They truly appreciated each other, as if they were all the other had.

She felt a thread of envy wriggle its way through her stomach for her rival having that kind of bond with someone. Her deceased sensei's parting words chose that time to float through her mind.

"_...Don't loose to Sakura...in ninjutsu or in love..."_

"Now do you see what I've always seen?"

Ino jumped, hastily whipping her head around to meet a pearl stare.

"H-Hinata! I didn't—I mean...It isn't like that!"

The blue-haired beauty smiled kindly at the stuttering Yamanaka and turned to look at the subject of her scrutiny a few seconds ago.

"He's amazing." She said in her dulcet voice, "He can touch anyone's life without even trying...bringing light to the darkness within themselves that they can't face alone. He doesn't even realize what a pillar of strength has become for everyone..."

Ino stared at Hinata, amazed. She had never heard the girl speak so much at once, and with such conviction.

"He has so many qualities that...just...I mean he's compassionate, he's honest, he's supportive, he's...he's..."

"Hot?"

Hinata squeaked at the weapon mistress's suggestion and her face flushed. That was most likely the word she had been thinking of.

"Yeah...that dorky little blond kid is turning out to be quite the looker, eh?" Tenten said, waggling her eyebrows and nudging the shy girl in the side.

"D-don't..."

Ino shook her head at Tenten's sassy antics and cracked a grin. She turned her attention back to the lounging pair, sizing them up before narrowing her eyes, vowing to get to the bottom of this.

Sakura could feel herself drifting off. The atmosphere was so comforting, so soporific, she couldn't help it. She was vaguely aware of a small vibration under the tips of her fingers. A low puttering glided over her ears. It sounded familiar to her, and after short contemplation her eyes opened fully upon the full recognition of the sound. Looking down only confirmed where it was coming from. No, it couldn't be...

"Naruto," Sakura whispered in his ear, bending down low as to not drag anyone's attention over to their happy little corner, "are you...purring?"

"Quiet," he commanded without opening his eyes and nudged her loose fingers with his face, giving her a silent request to continue her ministrations.

Sakura giggled a little at her teammate's cute, animalistic behavior and granted him his silent request.

"Does the purring have something to do with the whiskers?" she asked sounding delighted, "I didn't think foxes purred."

"They don't, demons do."

Sakura's body was shaking with silent laughter at this bit of information and she found it hard to keep petting his cheeks.

"Demons purr?" She asked, coiling forwards a bit more so she could bury her face in his hair to help muffle her giggles. "Why would demons purr?"

"And why not?" Naruto asked sleepily as if it were perfectly normal.

"Purring is cute, and they're supposed to be scary."

"_He_ purrs."

Realizing he was referring to the Kyuubi, the most feared demon in existence left her laughing out loud. This sadly brought unwanted attention.

"Hey lovebirds, you too good to join the rest of us?" Kiba asked loudly. He along with many others present was grinning at the pair. Sakura could feel her face burn under all the laughing stares while Naruto flipped them off and made no further movements.

"Troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered. He stood slowly, popping his back as he stretched out the stiffness from sitting in one place for too long. "I better get back. It's getting late and my mother will be a real pain if I skip dinner again."

Chouji got up to follow him, waving to the others.

"Yes," Lee agreed, "Now seems a good a time as any to head out."

The group filtered out of the Inuzuka residence, each going their separate ways to their own homes.

"Well, see you tomorrow Sakura-chan," Naruto said cheerfully, walking towards the more shady part of Konoha.

"Wait!" Sakura called to him, "Want to get a bite to eat?"

Truthfully, she really didn't want to be anywhere near her parents at the moment. Naruto's eyes lighted, no doubt at the thought of ramen, and he opened his mouth to respond.

"Oh no you don't, billboard brow!"

The remnants of team seven started at the boisterous voice. Ino stormed up to Sakura and grabbed her arm, pulling her in the direction of her own home.

"Your date will have to wait, I need her tonight." She said to a completely dumbfounded Naruto as she dragged the medic-nin away.

"Ino-pig!" Sakura growled struggling to pull from her grip. She had Tsunade's strength for Christ's sake so why was this so hard? "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"We're having a girl's night tonight," the purple-clad girl said in a sickly sweet voice.

"We are?" Sakura asked somewhat fearfully.

"Yep. You're sleeping over!"

Sakura would have liked to argue for the sake of arguing, but she really didn't want to go home either.

"Fine." She grumbled. "But I'm borrowing your clothes."

"As if you could fit in them, fatty."

"Why you—!"

0o0o0o0o

* * *

0o0o0o0o

Sakura bounced a little on the large, canary-yellow bed. The pale pink nightie she wore rode up her legs as she sat, showing off inches of elegant milky thighs.

"So what did you really want, piglet?"

Ino scowled at the name and plopped down on the other side of the bed, dropping a few cotton balls and different shades of nail polish onto the comforter.

"I want to know what's going on with you and Naruto," she said straightforward as she unscrewed the cap of a teal polish. Sakura's hand slowed as it hovered over the pile of colors and she glanced up at Ino's uncharacteristically serious face. Choosing a color that she felt matched her eyes, she straitened her posture and began her own grooming.

"That's a pretty vague question."

A tick went off on the side of Ino's head.

"You know what I mean, forehead. I saw you two today, all snuggled up together—"

"—we were not snuggled up!"

"I haven't seen you look at anyone like that since Sasuke."

Sakura stilled and her jaw tightened and Ino was afraid she crossed some forbidden line.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." she trailed off when the other girl began shaking her head. Sakura's pink bangs shaded her eyes, leaving Ino to wonder if she was crying or not.

"It's different than Sasuke." She began quietly. "With Sasuke it was more of a fantasy. Then man I fell in love with was brave and selfless, he was quiet because he was shy...and after Sasuke left I kept telling myself it was just a mistake and that it was the cursed seal making him act like that. I had my suspicions but..."

Ino was quick put her bottle of nail polish down on the dresser next to the bed when she saw the first tears skate down pastel cheeks.

"But when I saw him again after all those years, and heard how he felt about us from his own mouth, and saw first hand that he really wanted Naruto, his best friend, dead for more power...I knew for certain that that man I fell in love with, that man I was positive was just hidden under a shy and modest exterior, he never even existed."

The tears were dripping off the soft curve of her jaw now, leaving a constellation of dark splotches on the nightwear, and like a true friend Ino said nothing but pulled the older girl into her arms. She was glad Sakura could start to recover from Sasuke's betrayal having now admitted it out loud.

"And with Naruto..." Ino prompted after a moment. Sakura sniffed a bit and pulled away, clearing the tear streaks with her arm.

"He's...I've known this all along but I refused to recognize it for some reason or another...but he's everything I thought Sasuke once was..." she said thoughtfully. Her face cleared from her earlier episode and her slightly bloodshot eyes took on an enlightened look, as if she were just realizing it for herself. Ino could have sworn she was hallucinating.

"You can't be saying...what I think you're saying..." she said slowly. Sakura snapped out of her daze and caught Ino's predatory look.

"I, uh, what am I saying?"

"That you're in love with Naruto!"

"N-no! It's not like that! We're just...we're getting a bit closer that's all," she decided, once again more to herself that anything.

Ino gave a Cheshire grin and sidled up next to Sakura, who had resumed the painting of her toenails, trying to avoid the conversation entirely.

"So...you and the stamina freak have been hooking up behind our backs, huh?" she asked slyly. Sakura blushed brightly, realizing that she was found out.

"I—we just—I mean it's nothing serious..."

Ino's eyes widened and she leapt from the bed pointed an accusing finger.

"Y-you actually do stuff with him? I wasn't actually serious!"

Sakura slapped a hand to her forehead for her stupidity.

"I..." she tried to think of something to say but drew up a blank. Giving a fleeting look at the other girl, she jumped to her feet on the bed with every intention of running away.

"Oh no you don't!" Ino cried, grabbing a pillow and whacking Sakura in the back of the knees hard enough to send the girl bouncing down on the mattress. Shrieking from the fall, Sakura grabbed her own pillow and began to attack back, inducing a long night of cushioned warfare.

0o0o0o

* * *

0o0o0o

Sakura managed to escape Ino's place the next day after Mrs. Yamanaka forced a hearty breakfast down her throat. In all honesty she loved the Yamanaka's, minus their intrusive daughter; they were always willing to accommodate her when things with her mother got too bad.

She breathed in the fresh air of the morning as she idly strolled through the streets of Konoha. The sun was burning brightly above her and there were few clouds to be seen (sorry Shikamaru). She wasn't to meet with her master until four since the woman was booked with diplomatic meetings for most of the day, so she had nothing set in her schedule for hours.

Maybe she should train with Naruto today? She really wanted to know what kind of training he was doing; all the secrecy from Tsunade made it even more unbearable.

Why the hell was she thinking of that idiot again?

She rubbed her temples as she walked. She was probably tired, that's all. She didn't get much sleep last night, having spent most of it under ruthless interrogation.

She shuddered, thinking back to all she spilled to the blonde. That pig could be quite persuasive when she wanted to be. Though, it wasn't as bad as she initially thought it would be. If she recalled, Ino's reaction to their first kiss was quite comical, actually. And Sakura definitely enjoyed describing in detail all the skill that Ino was missing out on.

And it wasn't as though Ino would go blabbing. There were unspoken codes of girl-dom that could not be broken.

Sakura stopped suddenly, now aware that her short walk had led her strait to the where team seven had taken their very first bell test. She walked up to the three posts and touched the middle one fondly. She could almost make out a ghostly image of a weedy, twelve-year old Naruto bound and struggling futilely. She shook her head to clear it and the image disappeared, leaving the center log aged and heavily chipped.

Why couldn't she get him out of her mind? When had this happened? When did he become so important to her?

She thought back to the previous night...and what she had said to Ino. Was she really holding his value over the Uchiha?

Sakura placed a hand against the roughened wood of the post again and closed her eyes, trying her damnedest to find an exact label for her feelings regarding Naruto.

It was a feeling the sight of Sasuke used to bring her, making her young pre-teen mindset believe she was in love. And now this is what she felt every time Naruto focused his dazzling sapphire eyes on her, or when the back of their hands brushed against each other as they walked side by side, or when she was in such close proximity to him that she could smell the warm, tantalizing musk that reminded her of autumn fields and sandalwood. It put her neurons on fire and made her chest constrict with euphoria...

Sakura gasped, her eyes flying open. The once peaceful scenery faded out, leaving her to her own mind. Her body felt numb and her outstretched hand slipped down the post, falling lifelessly to her side as she stared unseeingly at that significant middle log.

She was not aware that she spoke out loud the startling revelation within her thoughts.

"_I...I love Naruto..."_

0o0o0o0o

* * *

0o0o0o0o

Holy Mick Jagger on toasted buns...that last chapter got insane reviews and hits! I had no idea this would get that popular.

I wanted to wait until a few more manga chapters came out so I could make this a little more accurate, but I didn't feel like waiting that long to post.

Sorry, no kisses in this one though. Just, uh, purring.

...and girl-dom is not a word...for those idiots out there.

I hope you know that I'm feeling love for you all right now. Lotsa luuurve.

Rev-revs please!


	4. Forwards

**Forwards**

Sakura spent the next twenty-four hours after her litte self-discovery in a daze, occasionally pinching herself and sometimes walking into things. It was after she inverted a patient's knuckle instead of fixing the broken finger that Tsunade sent her back to her home to 'gather her wits', as it was put. But she didn't want to go home so instead she wandered, allowing her feet to take her wherever her heart desired.

Which is what led her to her position now, in Naruto's undersized, dingy living room, underneath said boy and enjoying another make-out session of their unclassified relationship.

The young woman decided that she definitely liked the feel of Naruto's weight pressing down on her body; their forms were pushed together in a more sexual way than any of their previous excursions. It made her feel even more vulnerable than the last time when they kissed on the Hokage monument. He attacked her mouth from above over and over again with such finesse and tactics, otherwise so out of character for him, that it left her dizzy. Their bodies writhed together on his worn, pleated couch; her back would arch involuntarily every time her pelvis dug into his stomach and his knees rubbed against the lean muscles of her inner thigh.

His right hand left her hip to brush up the side of her body, rubbing against the pale skin of her stomach, lifting her shirt teasingly as his fingers reached closer and closer to her ribs...and then brushed over the creased fabric, as if he decided not to cross that line yet. Instead, the slender, journeying appendages continued upwards, lightly dancing over the thin cloth of her vest, and tickled the underside of her breast, gently running his nails back and fourth a few times around where her nipple would be but not quite touching it. Sakura whined at his teasing and Naruto grinned against her lips.

He pulled away for a moment, just an inch or so above her face, and she opened her eyes to stare questioningly into his own playful orbs. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and her face burned under his tender stare. She had not yet spoken to him about her feelings and she was rather shy to do so. She did love him, but, despite his willing attentions to her, she had yet to know how sincere his feelings towards her were; if he loved her or just loved being with her. That and the thought of a real relationship was a rather intimidating one to her.

An impish grin graced his features before he brought his lips down onto her neck, kissing and suckling and nipping the thin skin over her veins. The sensations made her feel weightless, like she was flying and she loved it. At one point his teeth clamped down on the skin above her collarbone and he gave it a hard suck, and for that moment Sakura panicked. If he left a hickey on her people would be sure to notice, her parents for one thing (who she was still not on good terms with) and her master as well. Her hormone clouded brain didn't register that she was a medic nin and could be rid of it in a second.

He left his marking and took a different route. His tongue and lips ascended along her jaw, following the curved bone to the lobe of her ear, and he pulled the tiny sack of flesh into his mouth, rolling it delicately between his teeth, flicking it with his tongue. Her fingers splayed across his back and she moaned; her body arching so she could grind their fronts together, her knees lifted and bent on either side of him so that his larger frame settled comfortably between her legs. He pulled his lips away from the lobe and gave it a quick nibble before taking his tongue and drawing it up the side of her ear. She squealed and giggled when he brought the wet muscle to her ear canal, flicking his tongue in the hollow space, bringing forth a tickle.

"Naruto," She sighed. She didn't say his name for a reason, she just felt like speaking it. She rolled her hips against his firm abdominal muscles, right where his seal would be, and could feel the wetness in her panties. She wanted more. Inhibitions thrown to the wind, she reached under Naruto's arm that was barring them onto the couch and clutched one solid butt cheek.

"S-Sakura," Naruto laughed, shocked but pleased with her aggressiveness. The laughter died from his face as her other arms reached for his backside as well and she firmly pushed his hips up to meet hers, effectively pressing their pelvises together. "Sakura?"

She silently replied by wriggling down under him a bit more so their hips were even. Back and forth she ground against him so that she could feel his half-hardened state between her lips through the rough cloth of their clothes. It felt so good, not just the stirring in her loins, but the knowledge that she was doing this to him, that she was in control for once.

"Sakura..." he said warningly again. His eyes were closed and his breathing harsh. His arms were bracing him above her so his torso hovered over hers.

"You said I call the shots," she stated sassily as she brushed her thumb across his whiskers, making him bury his nose in her neck and struggle for breath. Sakura continued to grind against him and he hesitantly returned the favor at her dominion. Her arms moved up his body and wrapped tightly around his neck so she could hold him close as the pleasure began to build up within her, heavy breathing turned into quick pants. So immersed in this new erotic passion, she nearly squealed when Naruto cupped the small of her back and lifted her so that they were both sitting upright, her straddling his lap. This new angle put more of her weight down on his crotch and she was quick to continue their dry humping. Her arms were still wound around his neck as her drive became more aggressive. She didn't know what the hell Sai was talking about; that sure didn't _feel_ dickless.

Naruto loved the small and very virgin squeaks and moans she was releasing into his ear as her eager hips jerked along his painfully restricted member. He kept his hands on her backside and made sure to guide her movements so that she could get the most satisfaction out of her strokes.

"Nnnnn...Naruto," she groaned, her thighs quaking a bit under the strain of her constantly shifting weight. She could feel her orgasm building up and she pushed down harder on him. He breathed a moan before starting in on her neck, working for a hickey on the other side. Sakura was in sensation overdrive under his hot mouth and steady thrusts. She could sense herself ready to go. She loved him. She loved him, she loved him, she loved him.

A knock on the door sounded that their ninja trained ears could not ignore. But they sure as hell tried to.

"Just a little longer," Sakura begged, her movements against him ruthless, "maybe they'll go away..."

She could feel Naruto nod against her neck and he thrust his pelvis upwards, the fabrics between them chafing against her clitoris. However, the knocking continued and they both managed to slow to a still with heaving chests. Sakura loosened her hold on the boy's neck and leaned back to look at him incredulously, her orgasmic, exhilarated assemble already beginning to die down. He shrugged, obviously aggravated and disappointed; she was in the same boat.

"No one ever comes here, let alone knocks," Naruto didn't say it with curiosity, more like exasperated disbelief. "Of all days..."

"Whoever's on the other side of that door better have a damn good reason for being there," the kunoichi growled and Naruto granted her a half-amused look.

The knock suddenly took a rhythm, as though the person behind it was running a commercial tune.

"That has to be Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said. Sakura nodded and slowly, reluctantly, extracted herself from him. Naruto stood from the couch and began to uncomfortably re-arrange his clothing to hide his aroused state. Sakura couldn't help but smirk at his predicament, the very same she put him in. Naruto caught her look.

"Yeah, yeah. You'll get yours."

"Promise?" she asked with a wicked grin.

"Promise," he readily replied before walking around the cornered wall to the door.

He jerked it open, stopping the racket the grey-haired man behind it was causing.

"What?" Naruto growled.

The masked ninja took on a mock look of pain.

"Is that how you greet your beloved sensei?"

Naruto scoffed derisively but still moved aside to allow entrance.

"You usually come through the window..." he said slowly, almost accusingly.

"Yeah," replied the jounin with an air of indifference. "I just had a feeling that I should use the door today. Weird, ne?"

Naruto sighed. "What do you want?"

"We have a mission. B class."

"That's it?" he said, feeling quite annoyed with his sensei. They were interrupted for that?

"Kakashi-sensei, we only have a limited amount of time left to get Sasuke back. We can't be wasting it on insignificant missions that any other chuunin could do." Sakura said, walking into their line of view. Kakashi, who had obviously known she was there, gave her a dry look with his visible eye.

"Wasting time, huh? And were you two training on that couch?"

"W-what? I d-don't know what you're talking about." Naruto stammered with his face red. His hands unconsciously tugged at the hem of his jacket, pulling it down further over his pants. Sakura's complexion didn't look much better.

"Yeah!" She said without much conviction, "Don't be ridiculous...and don't change the subject! We need to get Sasuke!"

Naruto looked at her, his brows furrowed. Had she really taken off the suffix on Sasuke's name, or was he imagining things?

"Well," Kakashi said slowly and made to look like he was pondering on something, "I suppose I could ask the Hokage to pass on that mission to another team and extend your training time until Jiraiya-sama's intelligence finds new news on Sasuke's location..." he trailed off.

"Yeah! Thanks sensei!" Naruto yelled, pumping a fist in the air. Sakura smiled gratefully as well.

"We won't waste time, we promise."

"I guess I should go do that now, then." Kakashi said, walking away from the pair. He paused at the door before he exited and gave his enhanced nose an experimental sniff, as if to confirm something. "Hmm...smells like sex."

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"Sensei!"

The copy-nin poofed away as two shuriken and a kunai hit the panels of the door frame.

"Well that was completely pointless." Naruto griped shifting his clothes a bit more over his slowly dying erection. "Of course he knows now—I hope you don't mind—but he probably knew all along. He always knows stuff like that..."

Sakura swallowed. Without any aphrodisia to cloud her thoughts her embarrassment in Naruto's presence, much like after the first time they kissed, suddenly returned full force as she thought back her earlier forwardness. She couldn't believe she threw herself at him like that. What must he think of her? He probably saw her as no better than the rest of those hussies—

All thoughts of shame were cut off as he kissed her lightly, his lips lingering on hers long enough to gain her full attention before he pulled away. He kept his bent posture so his eyes were level with her own.

"You okay?" he asked attentively, his gaze intense as he openly searched her eyes, making her feel as though he could see inside her soul. She could feel herself blush as she fell victim to those beautiful blues once again.

"Um...yeah...Look, I'm sorry about earlier—" she began, hoping to clear things up between them. But Naruto straitened and shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry." He said, much to her confusion. "It's never polite to leave a girl unsatisfied."

Sakura's blush intensified.

"O-oh?" she squeaked as he took his time backing her into the wall. He held himself apart from her by locking an arm against the wall on either side of her head and he leaned his face towards hers.

"Yeah...I promised after all, didn't I?"

His playful grin was infectious and Sakura was left wondering why she was so embarrassed in the first place. This was Naruto. She didn't have to hold back what she was feeling when she was with him. That was part of the reason she loved him.

"That's right...you did, didn't you?" Her hands lifted to cup the back of his neck and she pulled him in for another kiss. He allowed his weight to compress her into the wall and he planted a knee between her legs, sensually rubbing his quad against her inner thighs, around her still swollen lips, but never quite touching her where she wanted to be. She tried moving her hips away from the wall to accommodate her wants but his hands were quick to hold them down.

"Naruto..." she whined and he chucked, nuzzling her cheek.

For the second time that day, Naruto's apartment door rattled with a series of heavy knocks. Both teens loudly groaned their displeasure.

"We both trained with Sannin. We can take him." Naruto said to her. Sakura snorted at this, very inclined to try that proposal and followed him to the door. At least now he was in a better condition to open doors.

"What do you want now you—oh! S-sorry Haruno-san..."

Sakura, who had not yet pulled herself from behind the half-opened door, froze.

"Naruto," The middle-aged woman said in an obviously strained voice. "Have you, by any chance, seen my daughter? She's been avoiding me and my husband for the last couple few days."

Naruto was torn. He didn't want to lie to Sakura's mom; he wanted to be on good terms with the woman. But at the same time he didn't want to betray Sakura if she was hiding out from her parents for whatever reasons.

"Um..."

"I'm right here mom," Sakura said, pulling the door the rest of the way open and saving Naruto the trouble. Her mother looked half relieved to see her daughter once more and half appalled at where she found her, even if she had a sneaking suspicion that this would be the best place to look.

"Sakura," Yori said, trying to keep her voice stern and her eyes away from the jinchuuriki: she didn't want her daughter getting the wrong ideas and be more difficult. "You need to come home so that we can have a family discussion about your recent behavior."

"About my behavior?" Sakura repeated, eyes flashing. "I'm not the prejudice one here! I refuse to live in a house with close-minded, delusional people!"

"Sakura..." her mother ground out. "You _will_ come home. Your father and I have been very worried about you."

"More like worried about who I'm with." the younger snapped. She and her mother stared defiantly at each other, willing the other to back down.

Naruto felt very uncomfortable standing amidst a family fight while knowing somehow that he was at fault.

"Erm...would you like to come inside?" he asked the matron. Yori was surprised when he addressed her. He looked very much the uneasy, normal boy her daughter claimed him to be as he fidgeted unsurely under her gaze.

"No, Naruto, it's alright. She'll leave."

"I am not leaving without you, young lady."

"And I'm not going back. Not until you and dad open your eyes."

"It's not that easy Sakura. You can't possibly understand!"

"No, it's you who can't understand! Why can't you get out of the past and see what's in front of you!"

Naruto felt he should do something before either the two women came to blows or his landlord tried to use unnecessary noise as an excuse to evict him again.

"I—I usually don't try and prove villagers wrong," he began; now shocking both the women into remembering that he was present. "But if it will help put your mind at ease about Sakura, I'll try."

Sakura's eyes softened at his willingness to help her mother, even though the woman had done nothing to deserve it.

"You don't owe her anything."

"Someone does."

He squared his shoulders and calmed his nerves.

"I talk to him sometimes," he stated, staring her in the eyes so she would see nothing but truth. "I can pull myself into the seal and meet with him face to face. Sometimes I demand chakra from him as payment for staying in my body. He talks to me too. Nothing nice really, mostly how he wants to kill me and extract his revenge on Konoha."

"Anyone could make that up," she clipped.

"He sort of looks like a giant rabbit," Naruto retorted, earning him a weird look from both Harunos. "I know that there are very few pictures of him, and with good reason, but they all give him fox ears. His ears are longer and make him look like a rabbit."

Yori's eyes glared in thought...that was in fact accurate if she remembered correctly.

"I can't see much of his body through the cage, but his eyes are red, and his teeth are huge. And when he grins they stretch all the way across his face."

The visage of that monster was painted clearly in her mind as the boy spoke and she began to tremble.

"His chakra is pure evil...I'm sure you'd remember the feel of it. I won't call it forth because I don't want to traumatize you, but know that if it were my own chakra you would recognize it instantly. There's no hiding that kind of malice."

Naruto brought his hands out to her, his palms facing up, and focused his chakra so that it radiated from his hands. The soft blue glow gave off a powerful, yet comforting aura that reflected off his remarkable eyes.

"This is my chakra."

"Its human mom," Sakura said, gently grabbing one of her mother's hands and holding it to Naruto's. The chakra hummed warmly against her cold fingers.

"So...you really are...two separate beings..." she mumbled, the realization of what this child went through dawning on her. "I'm...I'm...so sorry..."

"Please know that he is paying for his crimes against your family. He's suffering a fate worse than death," Naruto said cheerlessly, "He'll only live cramped in a cell for the rest of my human existence until I take him out with me."

Yori was pale as a ghost, the first time in thirteen years a feeling of justice for her son settled in her heart and she could feel tears burning behind the lids of her eyes.

"Th-thank you..." she mumbled, stumbling away in her shocked state, needing to organize her chaotic thoughts. Sakura watched her mother go, feeling rather emotional herself.

"Naruto..."

"Go," he said, "your mother needs you."

"You need me too." She said. It was clear to her, not to anyone else who would have seen him, but her, his teammate and friend, that saying all that out loud hurt him. It labeled his purpose of existence.

"She needs you more. I'll be fine." He assured her with a tiny smile. Not one of his old, big fake ones, but a sincere one that he reserved for her.

"I'll come back," she vowed kissing his cheek and dashing off. His nod was delayed and he watched her run down the rickety steps of the stairwell.

"I know."

0o0o0o

* * *

0o0o0o

Daaaamn that was the most risqué thing I've ever written. A little short, but full of horn. Yay.

I know it's been a while, but the evil finals have taken over my sad life. Woe is my brain...

Alright, here's the dealio...I have a new Naruto story I've been working on that I'm not going to post until February, when Naruto II is aired. Also, intersession is about to start so I doubt there will be anymore updates until I get back to school.

But Fanks, fanks, fanks for the reviews :)

And happy holidays!


	5. Decisions

**Decisions**

Sakura ran out of Naruto's apartment complex in time to see her mother's dull pink bob join the animated throng of people leading out of Konoha's ghettos. It would have been easy for her as a Chuunin ninja to catch up with the woman despite her hurried, agitated steps, but the teen thought the streets wouldn't be the ideal location for this upcoming discussion. So she stayed a step or two behind, waiting until her mother stumbled into their two story home before she entered the house herself.

She found her mother halfway to the kitchen, standing in the middle of the living room. The lights were off and the late afternoon sun left patterned orange streaks of light and long shadows across the furniture.

"Mom" she spoke to her mother's back. Yori made no response; she kept her head ducked and buried in her hands. "Mom," Sakura repeated in a stronger voice, slightly unsettled by her behavior.

Yori shifted enough so her daughter could catch a glimpse of her face; see her blood shot eyes and ashen complexion. When she spoke it was with a whisper and a tremor, signaling how rattled the clarification had left her.

"I don't know what to think anymore. I..." she stopped and screwed up her face against the conflicting ideals and emotions raging within her mind. Sakura waited patiently for her mother to continue. "I feel angered and ashamed and relieved. I feel like such a bad person...I mean...if he really was just an innocent boy all along..."

It took Sakura two, long strides to reach her mother, and for the first time in what felt like months (it probably had been months) reached her arms around the other woman's neck and pulled her into a hug. Yori squeezed her eyes and a couple tears escaped the thin, scrunched skin as she held her daughter close to her.

"I'm so, so sorry for not listening," she whispered into her daughter's darker hair. Sakura rested her chin on her mother's shoulder and kept her eyes closed. She liked this feeling of being in her mother's arms—the feeling of being a child again. Just a hug from someone she loves could strip away all the responsibility and stress that came with the life of a shinobi and leave her protected and warm. She had forgotten that a long time ago.

Gently, Sakura pulled away from her mother.

"But mostly relieved, right?" Sakura said with a small smile.

Yori returned the smile and wiped a drying cheek from phantom tears, "But mostly relieved."

Sakura's grin widened as she felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders. It had not occurred to her how much her mother's approval had really mattered to her.

"Does this mean you'll be sleeping at home again?" Yori asked, straitening out her blouse from the wrinkles the hug had pressed into it.

"Yeah," Sakura replied. Oh how she had missed her bed..."Now I have to go back and see Naruto."

Yori nodded.

"Please, tell that boy I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break down like that. I was just so..._overwhelmed_."

"You already told him yourself mom." Sakura reminded her, "Besides, Naruto doesn't accept apologies. He just wants to see people change for the better rather than pointlessly apologizing and continuing to drown in their own misery."

Yori hummed a little, thinking back to the Chuunin exam a few years ago that her friends had gone too. They had tried to explain to her how the 'demon' had defeated the Hyuuga prodigy gracefully but she had refused to listen then. There were even some rumors of how he was partly responsible for the Kazekage of Suna's lack of bloodlust. Perhaps she should get more accurate facts out of her daughter later. "That's a good quality in a person, that kind of selflessness, not many have it. I can see why you love him."

Sakura, who had started her walk back out the door, happened to bang her knee on the coffee table she was passing by, knocking a stack of coasters to the ground.

"M-mom! I never said that I—"

"Now don't keep him waiting hunny." Yori interrupted nattily while waltzing off to the kitchen before he daughter could deny the obvious. She wasn't quite settled down yet—she would have to have a talk with her husband—but for now she needed to start dinner.

Sakura blinked at the swinging door, furiously rubbing her smarting shin, the blunt statement having distracted her to the point where she didn't even think to use chakra to ease the blood flow.

How could her mother know when she just found out for herself? Add that to the fact that her mother only just started seeing Naruto as a human being...was she really that transparent? She hadn't thought she had been obvious about anything, but then again, maybe it's never obvious to the person who thinks their not being obvious.

She had reached the streets once again when her feet stopped on their own accord, scuffing bits of dust and dirt from the rough open pathways. The blood drained from her face faster than Lee without his weights as a horrific thought came to mind.

What if she was as obvious as Hinata!?

She shook her head, quickly discarding the ridiculous notion. Ino hadn't even known the extent of her feelings. Why was she letting this bother her so much anyway? It was probably just mother's intuition.

But then Yamato-sensei had known something too...!

**Gah! Stop it!** Inner Sakura cried, clutching her head dramatically.

One last shake of the head and ousting all the nerves out of her with a deep cleansing breath, she prepared to begin her journey back to Naruto via roof jumping.

"Yo!"

"Ahh!!"

Years of ninja arts training had saved her from tripping over her own feet in what would have been an embarrassingly Naruto-like fashion. A few powerful coughs helped cast out the residue smoke from her lungs that came from Kakashi teleporting mere feet in front of her.

"Sensei! What the hell do you think you're doing jumping in front of me like that?"

**Cha, Jerk! Sensei be damned—do you want me to beat your ass a mile into the ground?**

"Sorry Sakura," he said languidly, not sounding sorry at all.

"Humph. Well what do you want now?" she asked miffed. "Don't think I'm going to change my mind about that mission earlier."

"No, no. That's not it at all." There were little warning bells going off in Sakura's head and she managed to take in several factors about the situation that seemed wrong. His one eye seemed darker and burdened by something—the playful glint that usually resided there was not present at all. He was standing more rigid than she was used to; his spine was straitened from his customary slouch. His hands weren't in his pant pockets but stiff and slightly bent at his sides, fingers twitching every so often as if he couldn't quite decide what to do with his hands. Worst of all, his book was missing.

"The Hokage wants to see you. Naruto is probably on his way as well."

"Oh?" Sakura blinked. "So you've already spoke to Naruto? What does Tsunade-sama want with us?"

"Just go there now and everything will be explained."

Perhaps it was the abrupt departure, the not waiting for a response, rather than the uncommonly grave tone in which he spoke that managed to make the entire scene shift from disturbing to foreboding.

0o0o0o0o

* * *

0o0o0o0o

Sakura entered the Hokage's office to see Kakashi-sensei and Naruto already there waiting for her. The only others present in the room were Tsunade and Jiraiya. The two sannin were in light conversation which stopped the moment she closed the door behind her. She stepped further into the room and took a place next to Naruto, who gave her a wide grin that both welcomed and assured her that he was all right from the confrontation with her mother not long ago.

"Good. Everyone's here." Tsunade began, rising from her chair. For once the desk in front of her was void of any paperwork as well as any sake cups. Sakura decided it would be prudent to take that as an ominous sign as well. "I'm going to be direct about this. Jiraiya's intelligence has found the exact date Orochimaru plans to switch with Sasuke, and where."

"What? Are you fucking serious?" Naruto exclaimed, eyes bugging. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet and looking like he was ready to bolt out of the building that instant and into the training grounds.

"That's great!" Sakura cried, clasping her hands in front of her, "When is it happening? How long do we have to prepare?"

Her longtime dream of the team being whole again began to materialize before her. Everything was going to be normal again—

"In four days."

The smiles slid right off their faces.

"F-four days?" Naruto stuttered, his tone bordering between outrage and despair. Sakura could feel her stomach drop. What could they do in four days? What if they didn't get there in time? What if they weren't strong enough yet?

Jiraiya nodded gravely from besides his old teammate, "We start the journey tomorrow and we can make it there on time. I will be accompanying you along with Kakashi and Tsunade."

"Wait, wait—" Sakura interrupted, "There are way to many things wrong with this. Tsunade-sama...you're the Hokage; you can't just go running all over the country after missing-nin. That's what the ANBU is for. And what happened to Sai and Yamato-sensei?"

Tsunade held up a hand for her silence.

"Yamato is currently on a three week mission with his own ANBU squad. Believe me, had I known I would have been receiving this sort of information I would have kept him here to aid us."

"You're lucky you got it at all..." Jiraiya growled though he was ignored.

"As for Sai...Danzo apparently needs Sai back for something in Roots. Which is a matter that I will deal with later..." the rest of the sentence came out in an aggressive manner. Sakura could only assume that her master was pissed about the thought of Danzo doing things behind her back.

"That still doesn't explain why you're going baa-chan," Naruto said. Kakashi nodded and crossed his arms.

"There is also the large possibility of being ambushed by other sound-nins. Five seems like a stingy number to be sending on such a dangerous mission."

Jiraiya scoffed confidently.

"For one thing we are some of the best this village has to offer, and forgive me for my lack of modesty but that's saying something." From the corner of her eye Sakura could catch Naruto's pleased smirk. "For the second thing, there won't be any other sound-nin. I know Orochimaru and he would only do something this delicate to the knowledge of his closest advisors...sometimes not even them. He is confident that he's the only one with this knowledge—that and he really underestimated my information gathering skills. For once we have the element of surprise on him. Its time we take advantage of it."

"As for the reason I'm going," Tsunade began, shooting Jiraiya a look that told him to shut up and stop bragging or there would be pain, "Well, it's about damn time we finish this once and for all. Our object is to save one team member and destroy another. Shizune will be acting in my stead as a henge so villagers and outside villages will be none the wiser—this shouldn't take more than a week."

The two youngest in the room stood stunned, letting the implications of what she just told them settle in their minds. This would be it—the moment they spent the last three years training for was finally upon them. Once they left on that mission there was no way they could return without Sasuke.

"Sakura, Naruto," Tsunade said gaining their attention. "I am confident in your abilities and in your understanding of what needs to be done. For now, take the rest of the day off and get a good night's rest. We leave tomorrow morning at eight."

0o0o0o0o

* * *

0o0o0o0

Sakura lay on the too stiff florid sheets of her bed, now pooled around her thighs due to the humid air, and listened to the sporadic murmurs of the few night owls left on the streets. Her eyes stared unseeing at the white, fine fissured ceiling. One arm was dropped up by her head, her forearm pressed into the pillow, the back of her hand cratered by the tangled pink locks spilling over her pillow. Her other arm was draped across her bare stomach, the short, sleeping tank having ridden up to expose a sizeable amount of her midriff.

She turned her head to her bedstead, the red lights of her alarm clock glared back at her, informing her that is was nearing eleven thirty. She had gone to bed nearly two hours ago, thinking that she would need to be well rested. Unfortunately her mind had other plans.

A thousand questions and concerns plagued her that evening, ever since she stepped out of the office and walked away from Naruto's concerned watch in a daze, along with the unshakable portentous sensation that had settled in the pit of her stomach and continued to grow as the hours passed.

What if they are too late, arriving only in time to greet Orochimaru in Sasuke's body? Or what if they're simply not strong enough? Even after all the training they've both gone through, Sasuke had been enhanced with drugs and such in addition to his already genius status as well as the sharingan. Did they really stand a chance against those types of advantages? Was hard work and determination alone really enough this time?

She knew that her pessimistic attitude was ridiculous; she trained three years for this. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for—not only to save Sasuke from Orochimaru and reunite the little family they had going on, but to prove to those boys once and for all that she was no longer willing to stand in the shadows, that she would be looking at nobody's back.

But what really caused her to ineffectually seek out a comfortable enough position to find sleep was the thought that they would be too late to save Sasuke from himself. What if Sasuke still refuses to acknowledge their friendship? What if he viewed Naruto as a threat as he did when they were thirteen? She would never forget that battle on the hospital roof; the two boys flew at each other with such intent, such power... There was a very real possibility that Sasuke would try to kill Naruto this time around. And there was a very real possibility that he would succeed.

Sakura swallowed thickly and shifted her body so that she was resting on her side. The back of her throat burned with an acrid taste as the next question flew to mind.

What if something happens to Naruto?

She closed her eyes, begging her body to give it up and fall asleep.

What if something happens to Naruto?

The Third, Asuma...how much longer was Naruto going to last against these kinds of odds in his life?

...something happens to Naruto...

How much time with him did she have left?

...Naruto...  
Her eyes flickered to the clock in front of her face. Five after midnight. She made up her mind and kicked the covers off her legs.

Ten minutes after shucking on her old clothes from that day off the floor had her standing at Naruto's door wrapped in thin jacket, her only protection against the chilled night air. She licked her lips a couple times, fidgeting on the cement balcony before boldly knocking. She spent a couple moments concentrating on her breath misting before her as doubt seeped into her mind. It hadn't even occurred to her that Naruto might be sleeping. Cursing herself for her stupidity and insensitivity she turned to jump off the small landing that was reserved for ninjas.

A soft click and a broken creek stopped her where she stood.

She turned to see Naruto peering out from the half open door. He looked tired—not in the manner that would indicate he had been sleeping, but rather he wanted to sleep and couldn't find it. His mind was clearly as plagued as hers about tomorrow. His bleary eyes cleared after some heavy blinking.

"Sakura-chan?"

She turned to fully face him, arms wrapping around her elbows in bashfulness.

"Naruto, I..." her eyes fell on his naked chest—the crystal dangling above his pectorals glinted from the street lights below them—and then dipped further to the slim hipbones that poked up from a loose pair of sweats, "Can I come in?"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, yeah, come on in. Sorry, I was just, you know, out of it there for a moment. Heh heh."

He stepped aside to allow her into his darkened apartment before following her in, shutting the door behind him and flicking on the lights. Sakura stood awkwardly for a moment before shrugging out of her coat and dropping it on his couch.

"I didn't wake you did I?" she asked softly. She found it very difficult to keep her eyes on his face and not mosey about his body like she wanted to. Naruto grinned, looking scruffy and rugged with his loose, mussed hair.

"Nah. You're company is preferable anyway. Do you want something? Tea? Water? Actually...I wouldn't trust the water here..."

Sakura smiled at that and politely declined. "Do you mind if we go to your room?"

He nodded and led her through a door near her right. The room was small and simple, if not a little dirty with various scrolls and clothes sprinkled about.

"So what can I do for you?" he asked, throwing himself on his unmade bed. Sakura turned red and maybe even felt a little light headed at the sight of Naruto stretched out on the mattress half naked. With his arms behind his head his shoulder muscles bulged around his neck, his tanned skin more noticeable against the pale blue sheets, his ill-fitted pants sliding just a little lower than necessary. Now that there was better lighting than before she could see a fine trail of blond hair start just below his belly button and spread downward, disappearing beneath the grey fabric of his sweatpants.

She averted her eyes, hoping he hadn't noticed her blatantly checking him out.

"I just needed to talk—to see if you were as nervous as I am about tomorrow."

"Ah." He replied, propping himself up to a leaned back sitting position. "It would be today actually. And yeah, I guess you could say I am. There are a lot of factors against us but...I know we can do it. Like Ero-sennin said: we're some of the best ninja this village has to offer!"

His cheer sounded a bit false to her ears but she tried to smile back nonetheless. Obviously he could tell she was still troubled because he frowned thinly at her and rose from his lounging position.

"We can do it Sakura. It will all be over soon."

She stared at the ground, the ominous feeling within her not abating for a second.

"I...I just can't shake this bad feeling, you know? That something's going to go very wrong..."

"Sakura," his strong voice brought her to her senses as he gripped both her shoulders, "Listen to me. We _will_ get him back."

"But what if something happens to you—to us—Naruto...I'm scared," she finally admitted. It was the two words she couldn't even bring herself to think, and now she confessed them out loud to one of the only people she could trust.

"Nothing will happen to us—" he tried to assure her, more gently this time. She began shaking her head.

"You don't know that. Remember what Sasuke was like? How detached he was, like we didn't even matter to him? He really will kill you, Naruto, if he gets the chance, and if that happens then...I..."

She suddenly couldn't talk anymore as her throat seized up against her will. The hot tears brimming among her lower lashes burned at her eyes.

"Naruto," she whispered. She placed a hand on his chest, right above his heart. It was warm and silken, just how she would imagine his whole body was like. "If something happens...the reason I'm here...I don't want to regret anything."

Naruto, who had been looking at her hand, raised his face to meet her eyes. He bore a cautious, guarded look. Sakura swallowed and plowed on. She needed to get this out damn it.

"Naruto...I want...I want it to be with you. Tonight."

It took all her strength not to break his gaze due to sheer embarrassment. She had just offered herself to him and he was so hard to read at the moment. His eyes seemed darker; there was a deep inner conflict going on within him, that much she knew. After a long pause he opened his mouth.

"Sakura, I am happy that you would ask such a thing of me, but...I can't."

Sakura could almost feel her heart break.

"W-why?" she croaked. Her tears had finally won out, breaking free of the surface tension that had held them back through the surging emotions running through her one too many times that day. Naruto looked at her compassionately and took her face in her hands, stroking away the beaded tears with his thumb.

"Because it wouldn't be fair to you."

Sakura's brows furrowed. She couldn't understand this boy for the life of her.

"Not fair to me? I'm asking this of you! Please! I want you and only you! I—"

"Sakura," he cut her off, his voice still gentle, his eyes still empathetic, but his tone commanding, "you asked me three years ago to bring back Sasuke. You all but declared your love for him," Sakura nearly flinched at that, not at her promise, but the picture that went along with it. The one of Naruto's heartbroken face that he tried desperately to smile through, "I can't interfere with that, with your feelings, not when we're so close to getting him back."

"Naruto, the Sasuke I thought I loved...he wasn't real! I've realized that recently. It was you! I was you all along that I—"

"What if it was the seal that was affecting his personality? If Orochimaru dies, if it disappears, he could be back to normal. You're not a shallow person Sakura; I know there was something about Sasuke his fan club didn't see that drew you to him. "

Sakura sniffed, "You're not listening to me. I can't shake this bad feeling. And it's not about Sasuke...I think it's about you. Naruto, please...this may be our last chance..."

Their bodies were pressed together now, her palms flush against his broad chest, his hands holding fast around her shoulders, and she wanted him more than ever now, desperation quickly become the foremost stimulate.

"When we get him back," he said, his voice still carrying that ever softness that he so rarely used, "and we will get him back, you can sort out your feelings. I don't think its any secret about how I feel about you, and I will always be there whenever you need me, but don't ask me to take this from you when I might not deserve it. After three years, how do you know you still don't love him?"

"Naruto...listen to me...I've been meaning to tell you—"

He placed a finger to her lips to silence her.

"You're emotional and distressed and you're not thinking clearly. If you still love him after all is said and done, you would regret everything, and I do not want to be responsible for anything you might regret, so please don't ask this of me. Not now."

"Naruto please I lo—"

"Don't Sakura," he cut her off, more sharply this time. There was a very pregnant silence that fell over the minute room before it was broken with a hiccupped sob, and Sakura was forced to bury her face into Naruto chest, his arms automatically hugging her shaking frame. His scent flooded her nostrils and she unconsciously burrowed further into his breastbone, rubbing her face against his soft flesh, seeking any comfort she could pull from him.

She felt rejection and hopelessness and love and touched and God damnit why was he always thinking of her and only her? She had planned to loose her virginity this night, if something happened to Naruto she would at least have the knowledge that he was hers. She hadn't even given a thought as to what might happen afterwards, if her feelings for Sasuke would return or not, if she would end up breaking Naruto's heart further. No. She wouldn't ever hurt him like that again. She would die before doing so.

A beautiful touch, tender and pleasing, coasted along her jawbone, tipping her face up and away from the torso that she was attempting to hide in. Naruto's eyes seemed to glow amidst the dull lighting, the azure wash captivating her.

"Everything will be fine." his voice wasn't quite a whisper, just above it, husky and raw. Tingles raced through her body as the finger that was running along her face before reached her mouth. The finger moved over her lips, tracing their plump shape. "Trust me."

Her legs shook a little as she soon found that certain parts of her mouth, namely the skin near the corners of her mouth, to be more sensitive. Keeping their eyes connected, he leaned in, bending his neck slightly and slipped his tongue out. She could feel the wet muscle take up the path where his finger left off, outlining her upper lip, then the lower, and eventually along the seam. Sakura's eyes rolled back and closed as her lips parted; her mouth was now open in a silent plea for him to thoroughly kiss her. He paused and pulled away slightly to admire the eager look on her face before granting her wish.

Sakura had to stop herself from moaning just from the feel of Naruto's mouth pressed against hers. The kiss was slow and heavy and drawn out. His tongue crawled along hers into the cavern of her mouth, rubbing sensually over the roof of her mouth, the gums behind her teeth, scraping along her taste buds. Her stomach was up near her throat somewhere, as if she had been suddenly dropped from a sharp distance. That moan managed to fly from her lips at this point, the vibrations passing along into his mouth and causing him to grin within the kiss. It wasn't normal to feel this way about someone...and not love them. Naruto was wrong; there was no one else for her, not when just a kiss from him could leave her so vulnerable yet so satisfied.

Her hands rubbed downwards along the sleek, hard bumps of his abs, the back of her knuckles dragged through the textured downy hair by his navel before gliding back up, over his pebbled nipples and up his neck, her fingers finally burrowing themselves in the thick hair in the back of his head. She angled her head and tried to deepen the kiss further, the heels of her feet leaving the floor so she could gain more height, her fingers pressing into his scalp.

She loved how his shoulders were wide enough to curve around her when he wrapped his arms behind her back just as she loved how his stomach felt pressed against hers, their belly buttons of equal height with him still taller by a few inches. She loved his taste, his smell, his hard body layered in the softest, warmest skin. She loved his lips and how they catered to her own, how they could leave her breathless after even the shortest of kisses. She loved how he would pull back every so often to look at her, his gaze molten and passionate enough to leave butterflies coursing through her abdomen. She loved him. She _knew_ that she loved him.

And that was when, just as Naruto's right hand massaged its way from her hip to her butt, the fluttering taking place in her stomach turned sour and the ominous feeling that Naruto had managed to charm out of her returned full force.

Something was going to happen. Something was going to happen to Naruto.

She broke the kiss, her mind rapidly returning to earth. Naruto looked at her, confused, maybe even a little hurt.

"I'm sorry, is something wrong?" he asked. His voice suggested that he wasn't sure if his attentions were unwanted or not. Sakura shook her head, resisting the urge to bury her face once more into his chest.

"I can't, I just can't get rid of this feeling that this will be the last time I see you." Her voice was breaking. She was not going to cry again!

Naruto pursed his lips and looked at her with concern. His hands rose from her waist as he leaned forwards, brushed back a few strands of her tousled hair from her forehead and kissed it. He replaced his lips with his own forehead, keeping his hand on the top of her head, and looked strait into her eyes.

"I'll be fine." He said in his most assuring voice. "You should go to sleep, I know you're tired. You'll feel better in the morning and then we can get Sasuke-teme back."

He gave a half-hearted smile that she couldn't return. She kept her eyes closed, reveling in the cool feeling of their foreheads pressing against one another, their breaths mingling in the small space between them.

"I want to sleep here tonight with you. Not like that, I just want to stay with you tonight. I don't think I can sleep otherwise."

She opened her eyes and looked up into his heavy-lidded ones.

"Okay," he replied. He pulled away, taking the warmth his close proximity had given her, and turned to rummage in a broken dresser against the wall. He groped around for a bit before finding her something to wear for the night—a large T-shirt and a pair of clean boxers. She smiled gratefully and took them, quickly changing right there in the room with him. She giggled when his face turned red and he sputtered, spinning on the spot to face the wall.

When she finished changing she folded up her own clothes and left them on a pile on the floor. She walked over to Naruto, his back still facing her, and grabbed his arm, leading him to the bed. He seemed a bit unsure at first—his bed wasn't that big to begin with and he wasn't sure where he was allowed to put his hands. But Sakura had saddled right up next to him, cuddling so that their fronts were facing each other much in the same manner as when they were standing. This way she could plant her face in his chest some more. His arms wove around her after he pulled the blanket over their embraced forms.

"You alright?"

She nodded and glanced up at him, blushing to see him staring so intently at her.

'_He's so handsome.'_

Her hand moved on its own accord. It rose to his face and brushed the three whiskers that she'd grown to love so much.

'_He's mine.'_

"Sakura," he sighed, his eyebrows creasing when his eyes clenched. Sakura caressed his face a little longer before giving him a light peck on the lips and settling down again.

"I wish you would let me tell you..." she mumbled, her hands now occupying themselves with the Hokage's necklace in front of her face.

"You can tell me whatever you want when we get back," he replied.

"I'll regret not telling you this," she whispered. Her fingers gripped at his collar bone.

"I'll be fine. No matter what happens, I'll always come back to you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Sleep came easy to them soon after—their legs tangled together, Naruto's breath washing over her forehead. Sakura could feet slumber rapidly approaching if her painfully heavy eyes were any indication. However, it seemed the comfort that Naruto was providing her wasn't enough to cease all her worries.

The bad feeling only grew worse.

End.

0o0o0o

* * *

0o0o0o

Yes, it is ended here because I really only wrote this to pass the time until I posted my new story, which is Naruto too. But I'm clever because I made this one leave off where the other one will start up. And that will be posted in a couple weeks from now so stick around!

Yeah, sorry no lemon or anything :( (haha, cuz I'm not sure I have the maturity to right one even thought I am now TWENTY!!! Woot, yeah, it's my bday today ;D)

Anyway, I had fun writing this and I hope you enjoyed reading it, thanks for all the reviews, you guys are the shit!


	6. AN

**For those of you who asked**: that continuation that I mentioned in the last chapter is up, called _Troika Parallel_. I should warn you: this story is a sequel to my other story _Millennium_ (a HP/Inu xover) so there will be Harry Potter and Inuyasha in it, but mostly Naruto. I started to write _Experiments_ to pass the time before I posted my new story and now that I'm posting it I figured I would end _Experiments_ in a way that worked with how I began T.P. Eh, that sounds confusing, but just read the first chapter and you'll see what I mean. I wrote that before I even started Experiments.

Thanks again for all those who read this story and liked it!


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